Alvin Ellis signed a letter of intent to play for Minnesota last November over offers from Tennessee, Kansas State, Northwestern, and Nebraska because he believed that former Golden Gopher head coach Tubby Smith and his staff would push him to reach his potential as a basketball player.

The two-year DeLaSalle captain expects a similar level of accountability at Michigan State, which is one of the reasons why the 6-foot-5, 185-pound senior sent his letter of intent to Tom Izzo on Tuesday afternoon.

"The chance to play with those guys in East Lansing is a great opportunity," said Ellis, who averaged 20 points, six rebounds, and four assists, while leading DeLaSalle to a 17-8 record and a regional final appearance as a senior. "I know that Coach Izzo is going to push me, that is one of the things he said to me, and the assistant coaches said the same thing."

Ellis received a scholarship offer from Michigan State during an unofficial visit earlier this month.

"I felt good about the coaches and the players," said Ellis, who played in open gym while in East Lansing. "The players were all playing together and having fun. I didn't feel out of place or anything like that, I fit well with the team."